Building up a dedicated "Strategies" section on the forum

Hey Guys and Gals,

I was thinking about this over the past couple of days, and there's a handful of scattered threads that I've found on the forums discussing various strategies - some general, some specific - but could we get an actual section created dedicated to strategies? (perhaps within the MW3 section; or other games, if the idea works!)

My idea is that in the new section, we'd have a sticky thread for each map with the first post in each thread being a "main post" with all the info I can find in the forums for a given map, and we can all discuss our own specific map strategies / tested tactics below. The "Main Post" would be updated with the various strategies that are discussed, forming a 'Strategy Sheet' for each map.

It might be worth creating different threads for various game modes, too but since the majority of games I've played online with the 30 have been Domination, I figure it makes sense to start there. (eg. "Domination - Arkaden", <rest of maps>, "Demolition - Arkaden", etc...)

If it's possible, I don't mind giving a hand getting the structure built and lending a hand in maintaining the strategy section (for MW3, at least!). One thing I'd be curious about is if we're able to include any of the maps that are found online in the main post for each thread for reference...

I definitely want to get a sense from the community if enough people would contribute and find it valuable before spending any effort to try and build anything up, though! Let me know what you think!

Thoughts?

good idea, although we are pretty good at derailing. I was planning on making maps with "Do not cross" lines on them and that wood be a good area to host them.

I like this idea a lot...an individual thread for each map is a strong idea...how to start out each game from the various spawns and what not...it would be a great place for deoge's vids...

I like the idea of having everything centrally located. However, I think it would be best sorted by game mode. It would be easier to reference then having to go find info on every map. You're more likely to stick with one game mode than one map.

And hoffy, that sig is disturbing....

I agree with NES about having them sorted by game mode first. My reasoning is that maps play completely different from my 3 main modes, DOM, DZ, and Team Defender.

Yes, we play ALOT of DOM. However, lately a bunch of us have been playing the other game modes alot more lately, and I think that's where much of the NEW stuff will come from. The DOM section will contain mostly links to information already found here, but the other sections would be packed with new information.

Sounds like a good Idea I can post some of what i have there if people would be interested. Im in the middle of migrating my channel so some of my stuff will be going away but I will repost my better quility stuff and remake my older videos to be more uppto date lol Its like a second job

My wife told me to get off the computer and go play xbox lol < she has even noticed i spend more time making videos and working youtube than playing games

And if your wife is telling you to go play games you better listen

audiopile wrote:

good idea, although we are pretty good at derailing. I was planning on making maps with "Do not cross" lines on them and that wood be a good area to host them.

^ THIS!

That would be a very helpful series of vids, and having seen Deodge's vids previously, I think he would do an excellent job with it. The only one I know very well is Carbon, so I would like to see DO NOT CROSS lines on other maps.

Thanks in advance to anyone willing to take on this task.

Sounds like a ton of work. Would someone just put it together and send me some sparks notes or the annotated textbook of all the info? Just kidding guys.

BurtReynolds69 wrote:

Sounds like a ton of work. Would someone just put it together and send me some sparks notes or the annotated textbook of all the info? Just kidding guys.

+1 because you have a baddass name. The bandit would be epic in a video game.

I like the idea of centrally housed strategies. The key would be to keep people from hijacking the threads, but I think could be accomplished pretty easily.

I'm on the fence about organization by map or by gametype. Would we have enough strategies to have something for TDM vs Dom vs DZ vs HQ vs... ? If you did it by map it could be a Dom section, then a TDM Section, then a DZ section etc. Obviously it would mostly be Dom, but I wonder how many other gametypes we would actually have info for.

Chances are we already have and use the best strategies for DOM, we just haven't put pen to paper. There's definitely certain maps that we know from the beginning that trying to hold down that point we spawn near would only hamper our gameplay and immediately try to over take the other team's side, or places we know not to cross in order to flip the spawns, and different places to creep.

I spend a lot of time while playing MW3, with a regular crowd of about 50, watching what people do on the radar. Different people have different techniques that work for their gameplay. Certain folks enjoy sniping and getting KS's, others really need to run and gun, others want the caps and defends, and even some of us just try to stay alive. So it would be kind of hard to perfect a strategy unless people were willing to get on board and assume some specific game roles.

Speaking of thread hijacking...between the name, sig, and profile pic I love it when Burt posts on the forums...

WCFC Silverback wrote:

Sounds like a good Idea I can post some of what i have there if people would be interested. Im in the middle of migrating my channel so some of my stuff will be going away but I will repost my better quility stuff and remake my older videos to be more uppto date lol Its like a second job

My wife told me to get off the computer and go play xbox lol < she has even noticed i spend more time making videos and working youtube than playing games

And if your wife is telling you to go play games you better listen

You are a lucky man! My wife telling me to play games would never happen in the WREG household!

I would like to help build this out. let me know how I can assist.

Awesome! I like what I'm hearing!

I'm going to try and speak to each of the raised issues as one response; kudos to those who spoke up!

First off, while I agree that we probably have and use the best strategies for DOM, it is quite difficult for new clannies to get up-to-speed on what those strategies are. In fact, that challenge was the very root of this idea!

I agree with the calls for a thread per 'game-mode / map', as strategies will vary a lot depending on what the goal of the game-mode is! (not to mention, spawns move around, opening/key routes will be different, etc...) What I envisioned is a 'Topic Category' of 'MW3 Strategies' with the following as (sticky) threads:

Strategy: Demolition - Arkaden
Strategy: Demolition - Bakaara
Strategy: Demolition - Bootleg
Strategy: Demolition - <rest of maps>
Strategy: Domination - Arkaden
Strategy: Domination - Bakaara
Strategy: Domination - Bootleg
Strategy: Domination - <rest of maps>
Strategy: Search & Destroy - Arkaden
Strategy: Search & Destroy - Bakaara
Strategy: Search & Destroy - Bootleg
Strategy: Search & Destroy - <rest of maps>
Strategy: Team Defender - Arkaden
Strategy: Team Defender - Bakaara
Strategy: Team Defender - Bootleg
Strategy: Team Defender - <rest of maps>
etc, etc...

Since the first post in each thread would be regularly updated with the various strategies discussed within each thread, it should be *relatively* safe from thread-jacking; even if a thread gets jacked, one shouldn't have to look any further than the first post to get the 'Over30Clan Strategy Sheet' for any given game-mode/map)

As to whether or not we'll have enough information, I think it will be interesting to see what conversations we can foster with a dedicated 'strategies' section; sometimes, it could be as simple as "I tried dropping an IMS on this map at X spot, and it worked out really well!" or "When the map starts, I run this route to B flag 'cause I'm always there first.". Over time, all of these ideas combined should form quite a lot of insight - particularly for new clannies.

While I doubt we'll ever arrive at a 'perfect strategy' (unless we strategize all the way to the 'spawn trapped' stage and can pull it off regularly!), I do think we can build a strategy sheet with the following:
* map image, with appropriate Team A & B spawns and objective markings for the game mode
* a 'first 45-60 seconds' game-plan from both Team A and Team B spawns. This includes 'early B rush', 'opening flag flipping', etc...
* Key Routes to control and how to control them
* Favourite Locations (Camping, Patrolling, IMS/Claymore, you-name-it)

I'll see what I can do to work out some form of a template that'll serve to form a 'Strategy Sheet'. My bullet-list of ideas is not concrete!! Feel free to shout out new ideas. Upfront, I will try to mold new ideas into existing areas where possible and will expand the template when needed. This is only to maintain as much simplicity in the template as possible.

If we're going to make this happen, we'll need:
* Maps for each game mode (that we're allowed to use - public domain, share-alike license, etc) hosted where we can link them into the thread. (I would love to know where the 'Do not cross' lines are for the Domination maps! Hook it up, audiopile! )
* A Topic Category created under "Modern Warfare 3" for "Clan Strategies"
* Ideas!! Strategies!! Tactics!! Favourite Locations!!

Again, Thoughts?

I can contribute to the Drop Zone section, as I'm researching it as a personal interest anyway. I can go through the most useful class loadout combinations, as well as offer up whatever results my upcoming capture point spawn patterns (doing several hours of private matches on each map to memorize the patterns so we can accurately predict the next spawn, IMO the most important piece of DZ strategy).

The first step would be getting a decent template of how the strategy section will be broken down, then just filling in everything we can find about each game mode/ map.

Cheers!

I've got a few posts here regarding tried loadouts for DropZone, areas to hunker down in for Infected, and I can't remember if there's anything else. I can cut and paste them to whoever is heading this up as I unfortunately don't have time (aka wife restrictions) but will chime in with whatever tips I can think of. There are far more skilled people than me here but I almost always play Support so I do try to think strategy.

And CaptHammer is right...knowing which DZ is next is crucial.

OK, Guys and Gals...

Here's my first attempt at trying to put together some form of a template to begin fleshing out with ideas... *This is not a finished product!* I want input!!

Next steps will be either:
* to trial the template with one or two game-mode / maps (perhaps, two maps for Domination mode?)
* to approach the forum Mod's and see if we can get a space created to house all of the threads if we go full!

I've only penciled in a couple of small ideas as if the template was for Bakaara; please don't crucify me for the content! I'm more interested in presenting the *format*!

Map
Map (of Bakaara) Image Here...
Overall Strategy
It's much easier to hold B & C on this map. (for example)
Opening Strategy - The First 60 Seconds
Team A Spawn	Team B Spawn
Squad A (1-2 players) Rush and cap A Rush up and take defensive positions near the youth center, covering stairs out of Long Building. Take out 'A Rushers' coming out of the Long Building Proceed to cap C Squad B (Rest of Team) RUN up the street towards B As you approach 'outside' B, watch for 'B Rushers' coming between the buildings on the left, and from the coffee shop. When you pull around to the B flag, check the hallway for any more 'B Rushers'	Squad A (1-2 players)
Recovery Strategies
When Triple-Capped: Step/Suggestion 1 Step/Suggestion 2 When Spawn-Trapped at A: Step 1 When Spawn-Trapped at B: Step 1 When Spawn-Trapped at C: Step 1
Key Routes (and how to control them)
Street (towards A) & Opening outside B. Cover from: Pickup truck in middle of street towards Coffee House Hallway behind B
Clan Favourite Spots
IMS Locations: Far side of the street (behind the concrete barricades) outside B. Helps control street & opening outside B.

Love it? Hate it? Let me hear it!!

I like this as a basic template. Another listing that I would like to see in the DOM section would be "what to do when it goes to shit". This listing would be the fastest way to recover from being triple capped or spawn trapped on each map, like which red flag to go for first.

I LOVE the first 60 seconds strategy, as most games against decent opposition really swing from side to side during this time. If we can cap and secure 2 and build some killstreaks early, the game is going to be much harder for opfor.

I'd also like to say ~Thanks~ for putting in the time and effort to get this idea in motion.

this is definitely the beginnings of a great idea, especially the patrol routes section. if all of us are synced into where we need to be, knowing what area of resposibility we each have, will only make us better.

OK, I've added the suggested 'Recovery Strategies' section.

Any other ideas?

Any favourite maps to try and pilot the template with? All we really need to trial the template is a map image we're allowed to link into the forum (with spawns & objectives, callouts, and those "do not cross" lines I heard about earlier! )

Thanks for your support! I don't mind putting a little effort in to help co-ordinate.
At the end of the day, it'll be the support of the community that makes them truly valuable!

And now I LOVE this template. I would like to see Lockdown for the pilot, since it's generally the go-to map at least in the parties I play in. Honestly though, the most beneficial to the clan might be Downturn because it is almost unanimously hated.

Wow arcanix, this looks great! This is the kind of thing that can really help people get/stay on the same page...

Love the template. Under Clan favorite spots, does it make sense to add key lines of site for snipers or worded another way key positions for squad snipers.

yeah...some quick vids or screenshots would be nice for the key spots/patrol routes/lines of site also...this is where deoge's vids could be really nice...

@WREG: Absolutely! Any kinds of 'favourite': Sniper locations, IMS/Claymore locations, Portable Radar locations (I'll add some of these - love the port radar!), etc...

If a location is suggested that no appropriate category exists for, we'll just add it.

I agree that sshots or quick vids to actually show locations would be really helpful. (we might even be able to do these without need for a PVR using Theater mode - haven't looked into how it works with a linked youtube...)

So the only remaining thing in the way to running a pilot (or two or three!) is Domination-Mode maps to include in the top of each pilot sheet. Anyone have a few links I can use to link into the templates?